Feb 21
Portland Street Style Shoot with Jade Rose & Sam Rosen Part 3 || Portland, OregonHere’s Part 3 of Jade Rose & Sam Rosen’s street style shoot! Get ready for the prettiest turquoise wall, and gorgeous sun flare (ahh, golden hour!). Be sure to check out Part 1 and Part 2 to see the whole series, and then take a note from these ladies and try something bold with your wardrobe this week!
P.S. Zac and I are going on a Southeast Asia adventure for the next two weeks, so it may be a little quiet here on the blog! Stay in touch with me on Instagram.
Feb 15
Portland Street Style Shoot with Jade Rose & Sam Rosen Part 2 || Portland, OregonHere is Part 2 of the Portland street style shoot with Jade Rose and Sam Rosen that I shared in Part 1 earlier this week. After taking photographs at Albina Press, Jade and Sam changed outfits and we walked west on SE Hawthorne Boulevard. We got lucky and found a colorful mural which made a really fun backdrop for our photos. Peplum, patterned tights, polka dots, and red lipstick? Check. How gorgeous are these two ladies? I’ll have Part 3 up for you next week!
What are your plans for the weekend? It’s Friday, and we’ve got blue skies and 60 degree weather here in Portland. Spring teaser! I signed Zac and I up for a Barre3 class today, so I’ll let you know how that goes; it’s the Valentine’s Day that keeps on giving!
Feb 13
Semlor, a Swedish Bakery Classic || Portland, OregonSemlor are a Swedish bakery classic, unique to the Easter season. What exactly is inside this dreamy puff of goodness, you ask? A semla is a golden cardamom bun that has been hollowed out, filled with almond paste and whipped cream, topped with its own hat and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Rolling the dough between my palms and watching them turn golden in the oven, I was instantly transported to my grandmother Elsa’s home in Sweden; remembering how she made these for me and my brothers when we visited her in the springtime. After my grandfather died, she moved away from the beloved farm into a small house near the coast. She brought familiarity into this new space with the food she made. These little buns remind me that there is continuity and love in the traditions we bring to the table.
Ingredients for 14 Semlor:
- 1 cup milk
- 7 T melted butter
- 1 packet of yeast
- 1/4 t salt
- 3 T sugar
- 1/2 t cardamom
- 1 egg
- 3 2/3 cups flour
Glaze:
- 1 egg
Filling:
- 200g (one package of Odense) almond paste
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 T sugar
- 1 t vanilla
- powdered sugar
1. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the milk. The mixture should be lukewarm, but not hot. Sprinkle the yeast in the bottom of a big bowl and pour the lukewarm butter & milk mixture over it, stirring. Sprinkle a bit of sugar in to help activate the yeast. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
2. Add the remaining ingredients (salt through flour), working it into a dough ball. Cover the dough with a clean towel and let it rise for 15 minutes.
3. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. Break the dough into 2 evenly sized pieces. Shape each into about 7 smaller dough balls, placing them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Cover the buns with the same clean towel you used earlier and let them rise for 20 minutes.
4. Glaze the buns with an egg wash before baking: whisk an egg in a small bowl and dip the top of each bun into the egg mixture. Place them back (eggy side up) on the parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes, and let them cool.
5. Mix your almond paste together with the milk to make a creamy paste. Make some whipped cream by blending together the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla together under high speed with a mixer.
6. To assemble the semlor, cut a little “hat” off the top of each bun. Scoop out the inside of the bun with a fork (taste test!). Fill the hole you’ve created with a bit of the almond paste, and then top with whipped cream. Place the hat back on, and sift some powdered sugar on top. Enjoy with a cup of coffee.
Recipe adapted from Johanna Kindvall’s Kokblog.
Feb 12
Coffee Date at Albina Press with Jade Rose & Sam Rosen Part 1 || Portland, OregonAfter meeting Jade Rose and Sam Rosen at a Portland Bloggers event, we decided to team up for a styled-shoot series in South East Portland. Jade and Sam are two very talented and stylish fashion bloggers in the Portland area. Jade is an accessories designer for the bridal company Sarah Seven as well as a freelance wardrobe stylist. If I ever need tips for putting together an outfit for a shoot, this is the girl I’m going to consult. Sam’s style is bright and colorful; all about unexpected details and confidence. I love how fearless and punchy her outfits are. Things I’m learning from Sam: wear more long skirts and make your own rules when you get dressed. I hope this post makes you want to meet up with a friend and enjoy a cup of coffee & a stack of magazines together… that was the theme of this part of the shoot, after all!
Feb 7
Taylor’s Portland Senior Portraits | Portland State University & The Park Blocks, Portland, OregonI photographed Taylor’s senior portraits in the PSU Park Blocks in Portland, Oregon. Seriously, how gorgeous and stylish is Taylor?! Hot pink and b&w stripes were made for each other, take note. Taylor is heading off to college in Southern California this year and is the oldest in her family, with four younger siblings looking up to her. Taylor radiates a calm and happy energy, that shines through in her portraits. The Park Blocks at golden hour is something special. Taylor, I had a blast taking your senior portraits! You are going to do some big things in these years ahead and I am so excited for you!
